Interior designers, builders and realtors get asked about childproofing at awkward moments: after the gallery wall is hung, the week before a listing goes live, or when a client mentions a baby on the way. This page is for you, when the house has to stay beautiful and still be safe for a toddler. We work as the childproofing partner you can bring in without redesigning anything.
The approach is simple. We match the finish, hide the hardware and keep the client’s plan clear, so the project you delivered still looks the way you delivered it.
Who this is for
Interior designers can bring us in during a project or right after the final install, when the client’s attention turns to the nursery and the stairs. Builders and general contractors can hand off a family moving into a new house who wants protection that fits the finishes. Architects can loop us in on railings and blocking while the drawings are still changing.
Realtors are part of this too. Buyers who are expecting often ask what it will take to make a house safe, and an itemized plan answers the question with something concrete. Stagers and listing agents sometimes need furniture secured or gates added in homes that families will tour.
What’s different about childproofing a designed or staged home
Everything shows. A plastic gate on a custom walnut stair or a bright white outlet cover on a dark wall undoes careful work. So every item gets chosen with the finish in mind, from clear acrylic on a railing to gates stained to match the treads.
Surfaces are often expensive or hard to replace. Stone counters, plaster walls, custom millwork and imported tile all call for careful mounting choices, and sometimes the right answer is to anchor into a stud behind a piece rather than into the piece itself. We review the materials before we drill anything.
Timelines are tight and shared. A designer may have an install day, a photographer and a client walkthrough in the same week. A listing may have a fixed open house. We plan around those dates so childproofing doesn’t hold anything up.
Photography adds one more wrinkle. Some clients want the finished rooms shot before any childproofing goes in, while others want the photos to show a home that works for a family. Gates that lift off their mounts and panels held with clear ties make either choice easy.
Sales bring a few rules worth knowing. California Health and Safety Code §19211 requires water heaters to be braced, anchored or strapped, and the seller must certify compliance to the buyer. Since SB 442 took effect in 2018, a home inspection of a property with a pool or spa must note which of the seven drowning-prevention features are present, and say so when there are fewer than two.
What we typically install
- Clear railing guards. Panels in clear acrylic for open balusters, cable rails and balconies, cut to each run.
- Gates in matched finishes. Gates in stained or painted wood or color-matched metal, with mounting hardware placed out of sight.
- Hidden cabinet locks. Magnetic cabinet and drawer locks that mount inside, leaving fronts and pulls untouched.
- Invisible anchoring. Straps and brackets behind each piece, including art-heavy shelving and media walls.
- Window safety that fits the treatment. Window stops sized to the frame and guidance on cordless shades, which the CPSC calls the only way to eliminate the cord hazard.
- Matching outlet covers. Covers and sliding plates in colors and finishes that sit with the existing plates.
- Hearth padding in neutral tones. Edge cushions cut to stone and tile surrounds, chosen to blend in.
How we work with you
Send us photos, drawings or a finish schedule, or invite us to a walkthrough with your client. We review the materials, bring product and finish options, and propose a plan the designer or builder can approve before the client sees it. The client gets an itemized plan in their own name, and with their permission we copy you on it.
On new builds, the earlier we see the drawings, the better. Blocking for gates and anchors is easy to add while the walls are open, and a railing a toddler can’t climb is easier to choose before it’s fabricated than to retrofit after.
Installation is scheduled around your calendar, whether that’s before the install day, after the photographer or between the inspection and closing. The team protects floors and finished surfaces and leaves the room as styled. If you’d like to introduce a client, our contact page is the easiest place to start.
Related services
Design projects most often use stair railing guards, baby gate installation and cabinet and door locks. For new listings and staged homes, furniture and TV anchoring and window safety round out the plan.